Lab Activity 18: Narrating an Event or a Story

Lab Activities
Lab Activity 18: Narrating an Event or a Story

Objective To practice writing a narrative essay.


		*Step 1:* Make a list of events that occurred on the best or worst vacation you ever had. They may be events that actually happened to you, events that happened to someone else, or events that you make up. To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

		*Step 2:* Write a thesis statement with a general topic, a point of view, and a map that gives your reader an idea of what your vacation was like and three main reasons (support points) why you feel as you do about it. If you like, use one or two prewriting strategies to better focus your thinking. Your thesis statement: Support point: Support point: Support point: To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

		*Step 3:* Copy and paste your list of events below. Then, delete any that do not support your thesis statement, and add any others you can think of that will support your thesis. Then number the events to indicate the order in which they occurred. To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

		*Step 4:* Write a rough draft of an introductory paragraph for an essay about your best or worst vacation, using your thesis statement and the three main reasons why you feel as you do about it. Remember to follow the time sequence you determined and to add specific details that help tell the story. To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

		*Step 5:* Refer to the writing you did for Steps 2 through 4: your list of events that occurred on the best or worst vacation you ever had, your thesis statement, and your introductory paragraph. Now, follow the map you included in your thesis statement to write three body paragraphs for your thesis. Use one of the three support points in your thesis statement to write the topic sentence for each of your three body paragraphs. Remember to use transitions to connect your support points and details for your reader. To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.